The Interrogation Experiments
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Germans have a new method of getting prisoners to talk and they want to try them out on their Allied prisoners.
1. Chapter 1

**The Interrogation Experiments**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"Well Lieutenant, has he talked yet?"

"No Sir, not yet." Lt. Krantz admitted. "He hasn't been allowed to sleep for the last three days. I have guards checking every fifteen minutes to make sure he stays awake. Other than the guards, he has been kept isolated, just as you ordered."

"And the private?"

"He hasn't told us anything yet either. We haven' been able to keep him awake though. His wounds make it impossible. He passes out and we aren't able to wake him again."

"Have you told him yet that the sergeant was killed?"

"No Sir. I was planning on telling him tonight. We have a little show planned to help convince him."

"Very well Lieutenant, but if they don't talk soon we will have to try a different technique. Have either of them mentioned the other two men in their unit?"

"No Major, and we have asked. They both claim that they don't know where the others would go to hide."

"Keep me informed Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir." Lt. Krantz acknowledged, standing to exit the office.

"Major Hoatz, do you really think that a private and a sergeant will have anything of real value to tell us?"

"Yes Lieutenant, I do. They can tell us where to find the others and we will end their threat once and for all. Besides, this is really only an experiment with the new interrogation method. Obergefreiter Scharff has reported these methods to be very successful and Berlin would like to see them more widely used. The information is supposedly much more reliable than the information obtained by the Gestapo."

The lieutenant shuddered at the mention of the Gestapo and their methods. "If I were a prisoner I would prefer someone use these new methods on me. I've seen the men that the Gestapo has interrogated."

"Exactly Lieutenant. While still considered torture, sleep deprivation and isolation are still much easier on the prisoner."

"Very well Major, I will go visit the private again and make sure that he is receiving the proper medical care."

"Have you ordered your men to keep their abuse to a reasonable level? After all, he is of no use to us dead."

"They know to do no serious or permanent harm Major, and I ordered them to limit it so that he can heal enough to stay awake so that we can question him. Not only is he no good to us dead, he's no good to use if he is unconscious all of the time either."

"All right, carry on Lieutenant. I expect to hear of some progress soon."

"Yes Sir." Lt. Krantz answered, saluting again and hurrying from the room.

Lieutenant Krantz allowed himself a leisurely walk to the prisoner's cell. The sergeant was being held in a regular cell while the private was confined to a small, windowless room in the supply building. One of the requirements of the new interrogation technique was isolation, keeping the two prisoners separated was critical for success. Since the private was injured, and the sergeant was not, it made sense to house the more dangerous of the two in the cells.

Walking along the corridor, Lt. Krantz spotted the guard leaning against the wall talking to someone around the corner. At the sight of him, the guard moved to stand next to the prisoner's door and snapped to attention.

"Is the prisoner awake?"

"I don't know Lieutenant. You left instructions not to bother him. I thought that you wanted him to sleep." The guard replied nervously.

"I do." The Lieutenant replied. "I want him strong enough to answer questions. If he's unconscious he won't be able to talk." Motioning toward the door, he indicated that he wanted to enter the room. There was no lock on the door but the lieutenant preferred that a guard always enter first. He didn't trust these Americans, not even under the circumstances.

The private shifted in his cot as the door opened and the guard walked into the room. Pulling his bruised arms tight against his wounded side, the American waited for the beating that he expected to be delivered. There was an obvious look of relief on his face when he saw Lt. Krantz enter behind the guard. There was never any abuse while the Lieutenant was present.

"How are you feeling today Private?" Lt. Krantz asked with his usual smile. "I trust that you have been treated well." The youth on the cot remained quiet, not answering in any form; no nod, no shake of his head, no change of expression. "Come now Private, I thought you understood that you can trust me. I won't allow the guards to harm you if you answer."

"I'm fine." The blond answered sullenly.

"Good. I was hoping that you would feel up to having some company. I think that we should get to know each other a little better."

The prisoner eyed the guard warily and refused to meet the Lieutenant's gaze.

"Very well Private, would you prefer that I ask the guard to step outside?"

The prisoner nodded cautiously, watching the guard the entire time.

The Lieutenant turned and ordered the guard to step outside being careful to specify that the door was to remain open. As the guard stepped into the hall and out of direct line of sight, the prisoner visibility relaxed.

"Have they treated you well? I spoke to Major Hoatz and told him that you have been very cooperative. He has assured me that if you continue to cooperate, he will make sure that you are assigned to our most comfortable POW camp. He will not allow the Gestapo to question you."

"I appreciate that Lieutenant; I guess if I have to go to a POW camp, it might as well be a nice one." The young private answered quietly.

The Lieutenant looked for a sign that the prisoner was being sarcastic. The blue eyes looking back at him were clouded with pain but no evasiveness.

"As I told you, I want to be your friend. The war is over for you so there is no need for us to remain enemies." The German officer encouraged in a friendly tone. "The guards are treating you well, are they not? I told them to leave you alone and they have done so."

"They haven't been in except to bring me food or water since yesterday." The blond answered carefully. "Thank you Lieutenant."

"I wish to be your friend and that is what friends do." The officer assured him as sincerely as possible. "I'm afraid that I have some bad news for you Private. It pains me to tell you this." The officer looked down at his hands and wrung them uncomfortably. "Two of your friends were killed this morning by a bomb dropped from one of our planes. The jeep was completely destroyed. Unfortunately, we were unable to capture them before they were spotted by the plane." The Lieutenant peered at the prisoner's face, trying to read his expression.

The blond dropped his heads as a tremor shook his body. "Are you sure that no one survived?"

"Quite sure." The Lieutenant admitted. "I'm sorry; it was confirmed by a patrol on the ground." Putting as much sympathy in his voice as he could manage, the officer sighed loudly. "I had hoped to capture them so that you could all go to the POW camp together."

"It wasn't your fault Lieutenant. We all knew it could happen someday. The assignments that we get tend to be a bit on the dangerous side." The prisoner slumped back in his cot, keeping is head lowered. "Thank you for telling me." The blond looked up, a sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry Lieutenant; I don't really feel like talking right now. Maybe we could talk later, after I rest for a bit."

"Of course," the Lieutenant responded, trying to hide his disappointment, "I will drop by later tonight."

The blond nodded with a small smile and stated, "I'll be looking forward to your visit Lieutenant."

Lt. Krantz stood and left the small room, ordering the guard to close the door and remain near the room while on duty. "No one is to visit with him until I return."

The guard nodded obediently, moving to take his place next to the closed door.

"Has the doctor been in yet today?"

"No Sir." the guard replied.

"Very well, if he arrives, allow him to treat the prisoner."

The guard nodded as the Lieutenant turned on his heel and left.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Interrogation Experiments**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 2

After leaving the private to rest Lt. Krantz made his way across the base to the cell blocks. Since they wanted to keep the prisoners separated, they had housed them far enough apart that there was absolutely no chance that they could hear one another. The cells were located in the basement, their only source of light, small barred windows. One of the windows had been boarded over so that the cell's occupant would have no access to the outside world. It was to this cell that Lt. Krantz was headed.

The American prisoner, a sergeant, lay on the cot in a state of confused agitation. The guards had orders to make sure that he didn't get any sleep. After three days and nights of being awake, he was suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, and hunger.

Lt. Krantz stood outside the cell and watched as the sergeant struggled with the beginnings of his hallucinations. The Lieutenant had orders to befriend the sergeant as he had the private, but the sergeant was proving to be much more resistant than his wounded driver. Perhaps because he wasn't wounded, he was holding out against the new techniques. With the Major impatiently awaiting results the sergeant's stubbornness was making him look bad. Determined to crack the prisoner's defiance, he ordered the guard to unlock the cell.

"Sergeant! Sergeant!"

The American turned his head to look toward the Lieutenant. His bloodshot eyes took a moment to focus on the German officer. "What do you want?" He asked, slurring his words.

"I'm afraid that I am the bearer of bad news Sergeant." The Lieutenant began without preamble. "I have just received a report concerning your other two men.

"What about them?" The Sergeant demanded, eyeing the officer in confusion.

"They're dead Sergeant." The officer stated flatly. "Killed by a bomb dropped by one of our planes. The jeep was totally destroyed, both men were confirmed causalities."

"No!" The sergeant yelled, jumping to his feet, swaying as he stood.

The guards rushed forward, placing themselves between the prisoner and the Lieutenant.

"Yes Sergeant Troy, it is true. They are dead." The Lieutenant hesitated, facing the other man. "I truly hate to be the bearer of bad news but I feel that you should know. Sergeant….your driver died this morning. Our doctors did their best but his injuries were just too severe."

"You're lying!" Troy responded, reeling with shock. He knew that Hitchcock had been hit but he hadn't been allowed near the private after their capture.

The Germans had surprised them during one of their stops to cool their engines. Troy was sure that Moffitt and Tully had managed to escape. The last he had seen of them was their jeep disappearing over a distant dune.

Hitch had been hit in the first volley; he'd seen him fall but hadn't been able to reach him. His captors had pulled a bag over his head and kept it there until he was delivered to the cell. He hadn't seen or heard his driver since. The news of the death was a severe blow, especially in his agitated state. Lack of sleep had him feeling disoriented and lost. The hallucinations were only adding to his confusion.

He clung to his belief that the Lieutenant was lying, not only about Hitch, but about Tully and Moffitt too. There was no way that Troy wanted to trust the German officer. He was especially suspicious of the offer of friendship.

Troy shook his head angrily; he needed to start thinking clearly. Things were blurring together, leaving him unsure of everything.

Sitting on his cot, Troy covered his face with his hands and tried to block out everything and everyone.

"Sergeant, let me help you." The Lieutenant pleaded. "I can make things much easier for you. Let me help."

"No!" Troy moaned, moving to the back of his cell. "Go away! Leave me alone!"

"Sergeant, I'm sorry about your men. Those are the fortunes of war are they not? If only you had told me where to find them I could have saved your friends. They would have gone to a POW camp but they would have been alive. I could have helped you if only you had trusted me."

"No!" The sergeant repeated loudly. "Go away!"

"Very well Sergeant, I will go. If you need anything, call the guards and they will call me. I only want to help. I can make things much easier for you."

The sergeant stayed near the back wall of the cell, ignoring the officer and the guards.

The Lieutenant watched his prisoner warily. These particular Americans had a reputation for being dangerous and he didn't want to take any unnecessary chances. Their new interrogation techniques were unfamiliar to him and he was having to reassess his every move. The prisoner was showing the effects of dehydration and sleep deprivation but they were still not getting any information from him.

The Lieutenant glanced at his watch, it would soon be dark. He needed to return to the private and convince him that his sergeant was dead. The officer sighed as he tried to keep all of his lies straight, trying to remember what he had told whom.

Heading back to the private, he hoped that the young soldier would be more open to his lies than his sergeant had been. Planning ahead what he would say, he called to the squad of soldiers that he had put on standby and told them to begin their subterfuge.

Shots rang out as he entered the supply building again. Pausing, he stared toward the sound of the gunfire. His plan was to tell the private that his sergeant had escaped from his cell and had been shot dead trying to escape over the outside wall. The hope was that the youth would feel so alone that he would turn to the Lieutenant for comfort. Once he accepted the offer of friendship, they could start talking about the things that the Major wanted to know. Lt. Krantz wasn't sure that the new technique would work but he didn't have the stomach for the methods used by the Gestapo. Despite his best intentions, he found himself feeling sympathy for the prisoners.

The guard was standing stiffly by the door when the Lieutenant walked down the corridor. Giving him a nod, he indicated that he wanted to visit the prisoner.

The blond again tensed as the door opened. The Lieutenant smiled as he saw the prisoner relax at the sight of him. Perhaps this one was close to falling for the new methods.

"Good evening Private."

The prisoner nodded slightly, most of his attention on the guard standing just inside the door.

"Step outside and wait in the hall." The officer told the guard. To his relief the prisoner relaxed even more with the guard in the hall. "I was on my way to visit you as promised," the Lieutenant stated softly, "but I was forced to deal with an incident before I could reach here." The Lieutenant let his comment hang in the air between them. If he was correct, the young soldier would consider what he was about to tell him as the ultimate act of betrayal on the part of his sergeant. If the Major was correct, this was the blow that would shatter the youth's belief in his friends and any chance of rescue. Not sure why, the Lieutenant found himself reluctant to deliver the news.

"What is it Lieutenant?" The private asked, his tone edged with worry.

"There was an escape attempt Private." The Lieutenant waited for the prisoner to ask the next question.

"Who tried to escape?"

"I'm afraid that it was Sergeant Troy. He managed to escape from his cell. He ran straight for the outer wall and tried to escape into the desert."

"What happened?"

"He was killed Private, I'm sorry. The sergeant was trying to save himself and he was shot as he tried to slip over the wall."

"No!"

"I'm really sorry Private. It's most unfortunate that he should try such a thing. He was asking about you only this morning; I would have thought that he would have tried to reach you before saving himself."

The prisoner dropped his head covering his face with his hands. "Why didn't he?" The voice was muffled as he spoke through his fingers but the despair sounded through.

"I guess he just wanted to save himself. I wouldn't blame him too much Private, some people are like that. Think of it this way, if you had been with him, you would be dead too."

"I trusted him." The prisoner mumbled.

The Lieutenant nodded sympathetically. "I understand how you feel."

"Do you? Do you know what it's like to trust someone completely and have them let you down?"

"I know how it feels to be abandoned." The officer nodded.

"I don't feel so good Lieutenant. I think that I need to lie down again."

"Of course Private." The officer responded agreeably. "I will visit tomorrow."

"If you're going to bring me more 'good' news, maybe you could just skip the visit altogether." The blond suggested sadly. He looked up at the Lieutenant with eyes that glittered with unshed tears. "I guess you told me the worst of it already; my three best friends are gone, what else could go wrong?"

"I want to be your friend Private," the Lieutenant assured him, "I won't desert you."

The prisoner hung his head, his entire demeanor one of defeat.

Lt. Krantz had to steel himself not to tell the young private the truth. It was not in his nature to cause such pain. Leaving the supply building, his steps were slow and thoughtful.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Interrogation Experiments**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"When are we going to go in?" Tully asked as he handed a plate of food to Moffitt.

"After midnight, once the guards settle down and get complacent. My sources in the village say that there are only two prisoners being held." The British sergeant answered.

"You said that they aren't together; why would they separate them?" Tully asked in confusion. "I mean, I could understand if Hitch was in the hospital, but you said they're holding him in the supply building."

"My sources didn't have an answer when I asked them." Moffitt admitted. "I guess we'll find out when we get there."

Tully nodded quietly, looking toward the German base. From the vantage point that Moffitt had chosen they could see the main gate but not inside the compound. After three days of dodging German patrols, they had finally lost the search parties and made their way to the base.

"Tully, get down!" Moffitt's urgent warning sent Tully dropping to the ground. Looking in the direction the sergeant indicated, Tully saw the two patrol cars that had appeared on the road. Casting a quick glance toward the jeep, Tully made sure that it was well hidden. Satisfied that the netting made the jeep almost invisible, he turned back to watch the German patrol.

The German cars continued toward their base without checking the nearby wadis. The crews sat relaxed in their seats, not realizing that they were being watched.

"They sure have a lot of patrols out roaming the desert." Tully observed.

"They are worried about us." Moffitt told him with a smile. "They know we got away and we have a reputation for rescuing our friends."

"So they'll be waiting for us?" Tully rolled his matchstick back and forth as he waited for an answer.

"Are you surprised? We've gone in many times knowing that they were waiting for us. Is something bothering you Tully?" The Brit studied Tully in the fading light.

"I don't know Sarge." Tully sighed. "I guess it's just that we had to wait so long to come back. I hope they're okay."

"We'll bring them out no matter what." Moffitt assured him. "Even if we have to carry them out on our backs."

"I know that Hitch got hit but I don't know about Troy."

"I lost track of him when we were forced to run." Moffitt responded. "He would have done all that he could to protect Hitch. We can only hope that they're all right. We won't know for sure until we go in and find them."

"I'm ready." Tully assured him. "I'm going to pack up the camp so we're ready to go."

"I'll keep watch and let you know if I see anything that will affect our plans."

"Right Sarge." Tully returned to the jeep and packed up all of the supplies that he had taken from the jeep. He busied himself making sure that the jeep had a full tank of gas and the radiator was full. Glancing at the 50, he grabbed a rag and tore the gun apart to clean all of the parts. The ammo box was half empty so he dropped in another belt of ammunition. His eyes fell to the box of grenades stacked at the base of the gun.

Glancing up at Moffitt, he made a decision. Pulling the explosives out of the box, he quickly put together some charges complete with timers. Filling a cloth bag with the explosives, he added some detonators and fused cord. He added some hand grenades as an afterthought before dropping the bag on the seat of the jeep where he could get to it easily.

Glancing up at Moffitt, the sergeant was still concentrating on the German base. Tully sat on the ground with his back against the front tire of his jeep and waited for full dark. He reached for a canteen and a quick drink when he noticed the sergeant coming toward him. He offered Moffitt a drink as he looked up at him.

"It's time Tully."

Tully eased himself to his feet and turned to pick the bag off of the jeep seat.

"What's that?"

"A little extra insurance." Tully answered, "Just in case we run into some trouble."

"We're going to have to be quiet Tully. If they know we're there we'll never get out."

"I know." Tully answered soberly. "I figured we could use these on the way out."

"All right, I'll leave that to you. We'd better go; it's going to take us a while to sneak in. We're going to need all the darkness we can get."

"I'm ready Sarge, lead the way."

They cautiously made their way toward the base. Moffitt made use of all the natural cover he could find, taking his time so Tully wouldn't have to rush to keep up.

As they neared the wall surrounding the German base they paused more often to watch for the guards. One guard stopped walking to stare out into the darkness in their direction. Both men froze, keeping their heads down and their bodies close to the ground. The guard continued to stare for more than a minute, his body taut with tension. A call from the next sentry drew his attention, pulling his eyes back to the wall and the lanterns lighting the walk. With his night vision compromised by the light, he resumed his assigned patrol along the wall, forgetting whatever had caught his eye.

Moffitt turned his head to look back at Tully. He smiled to let the younger man know that it was all right. Tully nodded in return, not wanting to let his white teeth show in the darkness. Moffitt returned the nod and pushed ahead, one inch at a time. They were hidden at the base of the wall by the time the guard returned on his next round.

Tully tapped Moffitt on the sleeve and pointed toward a darker section of the wall. The sergeant considered the spot as an access point, then decided that it would be an excellent spot for the Germans to set a trap for them. Shaking his head, he led the way to a higher, more exposed point. Checking carefully for watching eyes, he scaled the wall as quickly as he could manage. Once over he paused in place, listening and watching for any sign that his entry had been noticed. As soon as he was sure that it was clear, he called softly to Tully.

Tully pulled himself over the wall silently and dropped next to his sergeant. Inside they moved as cautiously as they had on their approach. They were able to find more cover inside the base, taking advantage of buildings, alleys, and all of the clutter found in an occupied compound.

They ghosted from one street to the next until they located the building housing the cells; the barred windows making the building stand out from the others. Both of them noticed the one boarded over window and they exchanged uneasy looks. With one last look around for guards, they crossed the street and approached the building.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Interrogation Experiments**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 4

They slipped past the guard outside the building, not wanting him to be missed before they were ready to leave. Leap frogging along the corridor, they encountered two guards before they reached the main cellblock. Hiding the dead guards in a small room off of the main hall, they prepared to dispose of the last two.

Moffitt crowded against the wall and tried to decide how to reach the guards without being seen. The long hall had no place to conceal them as they approached. Tully was willing to throw a knife but that would still leave one guard to sound the alarm. As they pondered the problem, discarding one idea after another, the guard solved the problem for them.

Moffitt leaned out to check on the guards just as they unlocked the cell door and disappeared inside. The British sergeant could hear them yelling at someone to 'wake up'. Seeing their chance, he rushed forward with Tully on his heels.

They reached the door while the guards were still inside; any noise they made was covered by the shouting of the Germans. Moffitt could hear them shouting 'wake up' and 'stay awake'. Nodding to Tully, he rushed through the door, taking the Germans by surprise.

One guard had leaned his rifle against the wall and was slapping an exhausted looking Troy repeatedly. The other guard had his back to the door, laughing at the scene before him.

Troy lay across his cot, dazed and weak. He didn't react at the sight of the two men behind the guards. Moffitt took out the first guard with the butt of his rifle, dropping him before he realized that anyone was behind him. Tully hit the second one as he started to turn.

Moffitt reached for Troy, helping him to sit up with his back to the wall. Troy stared at them, trying to focus his eyes and clear his head.

"Moffitt?"

"Afraid so old man, were you hoping for someone else?" The Brit replied, smiling despite his concern.

Turning his head and staring at Tully, Troy shook his head. "Tully?"

"Yep. Right here." Tully grinned.

"Where's Hitch?" Troy asked in confusion.

"We haven't found him yet." Moffitt admitted. "We came here first."

"They told me that he died." Troy told them, his head dropping as his energy faded. "I don't know if I believe them."

"According to my sources he's alive and being held in another building."

Troy looked up with hope in his eyes. "Do you know which one?"

"Yes, but you are in no condition to go looking for him." Moffitt held up a hand to halt Troy's argument. "Look at yourself Troy; you'd only slow us down. We're going to have to move fast if we don't want to be discovered."

"Okay," Troy nodded, "you two go after him; I'll make my way off of the base."

"Really Troy," Moffitt admonished him, "you don't even know where we left the jeep."

"Just tell me." The other sergeant answered tiredly.

"No. Tully will take you back to the jeep while I go after Hitch. If we aren't back in an hour assume we were either captured or are in hiding. I know a few of the locals who may be willing to help us if we run into trouble."

"All right." Troy agreed reluctantly, realizing that in his present condition he really was a liability.

"Take him back to the jeep and let him rest." Moffitt ordered Tully. "If we aren't back by tonight we'll try to escape tomorrow night and meet you at the wadi near the Al Asal Oasis."

"That's if you aren't caught." Tully clarified.

"That's if we don't get caught." Moffitt agreed. "In that case we won't make it to the oasis. Now off you go before someone misses the guards. If you can, I'd like you to sneak past the outside guard again; he'd be missed pretty quickly out there. Tully, if you are spotted, I'll try to get Hitch out on the other side of the base. We'll meet at the first observation post we used."

Tully nodded and helped Troy to his feet. Following Moffitt to the door of the building, he waited for Moffitt to make sure that the way was clear. Moffitt warned him that the guard was approaching so they slipped back into the hall. After the guard passed, Moffitt hurried to an alley away from Tully and Troy. As the guard returned Moffitt began to whisper loudly in Arabic, faking an argument between two Arabs. He crawled away as the guard approached to investigate. While the guard searched for the Arabs, Tully and Troy slipped away to return to the jeep.

When they neared the point where Tully and Moffitt had scaled the wall, Troy held back. As Troy stumbled Tully began to wonder if the sergeant would be able to manage the climb. They had had no trouble but Troy was weak from his captivity.

"Sarge, wait here. I'm going to set some charges just in case we need a diversion. I'll set the timers for an hour and a half, that should give Moffitt plenty of time to get out. If they are trapped in there it may give them a chance to escape."

Troy nodded, grateful for the chance to rest. He crowded into a small, dark space under a wagon and waited for Tully to return.

Tully crept along the wall, planting charges where they wouldn't be easily spotted. Twice he was forced to duck and wait for a guard to pass. Glancing at his watch, he frowned as he realized that a half hour had passed. Needing to get back to Troy and reach the jeep, he kept the rest of the explosives for later.

Troy was sleeping when Tully returned. He resisted when Tully tried to wake him, pushing Tully's hand away.

"Sarge. Sarge. We gotta go Sarge. Wake up." Tully tugged on the sergeant's arm, glancing around to check for anyone who may have heard them. "Sarge!" He whispered more urgently. "Wake up Sarge, you can sleep in the jeep."

"Tully?"

"Yeah Sarge, it's me. Come on Sarge, we gotta go."

"Moffitt and Hitch?" Troy whispered, confused again.

"They're not here yet, we'll wait for them at the jeep." Tugging on the sergeant's arm, Tully pulled him to his feet and draped his arm over his own shoulder. "This way Sarge. Do you think you can make it over the wall?"

"Yeah." Troy muttered, sounding more alert. "Just get me there and watch me."

Tully smiled in the dark and guided the sergeant to the spot where they had entered the base. Troy swayed unsteadily as he looked up at the wall before him. Tully thought that he detected just the slightest bit of doubt on his sergeant's face.

"You came over here?"

Tully nodded.

"Why didn't you pick a lower spot?"

"Moffitt said if the Germans were watching for us they would most likely be watching the low spots." The lanky private explained. "Made sense to me." He added.

Troy nodded, closing his eyes and nearly losing his balance. "Give me a boost; I'm not sure that I can scale it at the moment."

"Right Sarge." Cupping his hands, Tully braced his back against the wall and lifted as Troy stepped into his hands. The sergeant grunted as he threw himself over the top, catching his balance before he fell off the other side.

"Go on Sarge. I'll make it over on my own." Tully called urgently.

Gripping the wall tightly, Troy slid off the other side, dropping into a crouch as he landed. A moment later Tully dropped next to him, motioning for him to be silent. They leaned against the outside of the wall, making themselves as small as possible as the guard passed on the other side.

Tully listened to the sentry's footsteps as they grew fainted. There was no break in his stride, convincing Tully that they hadn't been spotted.

Touching Troy on the arm, he led the way back toward the jeep. They had to stop several times to allow the sergeant to rest, even with Tully supporting him most of the way.

Once at the jeep Tully helped Troy into the rear where he fashioned a makeshift bed. "You sleep Sarge. I'll keep watch and wait for Moffitt and Hitch." He tucked the extra blanket around Troy, making him as comfortable as possible. The sergeant was asleep before Tully picked up his rifle to stand guard.

The watch on his arm said that it was almost time for the timed charges to detonate. Tully frowned as he stared at the base. Moffitt had said to wait an hour yet an hour and a half had already passed with no sign of the two missing men. Knowing that the explosions would bring the Germans running, Tully prepared to abandon the wadi.

Troy didn't wake up as Tully folded the netting and tucked it around the sleeping man. With one final glance toward the base, Tully hit the starter and drove slowly away from the wadi. Not daring to use lights, he had to carefully navigate over the rough desert floor.

When he finally stopped, he checked on Troy, but the sergeant was still sound asleep. Tully took his rifle and went to stand guard. From his position he could still see the German base, only now he was viewing it from the opposite direction. He watched anxiously for any sign of Moffitt and Hitchcock headed for the wadi where he was now hidden. As the night dragged on he was beginning to get discouraged. He hadn't heard any shooting from the base but then he had been pretty far away as he circled to reach his present position. "Don't you guys be dead." He prayed aloud as he kept his lonely vigil.

As the sky began to lighten Tully slid back from his vantage point and returned to the jeep. Sliding his rifle into its holder, he slipped into the driver seat. Troy was still sleeping and Tully decided not to wake him until it proved necessary. Using a compass, Tully drove to the wadi near the Al Asad Oasis. He silently serviced the jeep and prepared his camp to hide it from unfriendly eyes.

"Tully?"

Tully spun at the sound of his name. "Yeah Sarge?"

"Where are we?"

Tully told him, happy to see that Troy seemed better after his rest.

"Where's Moffitt?"

"He didn't come back Sarge. I waited an hour and a half at the first spot and 'till sunup at the second wadi. I never saw or heard any sign of them."

"No gunshots on the base?" Troy asked after a minute.

"No." Tully fiddled with the sling of his rifle. "They could have run into trouble while I was moving the jeep. I didn't hear anything but we circled out pretty wide. Those charges I set may have alerted the Germans to their presence." He added guiltily.

"What charges?" Troy asked, confused again, but for a very good reason this time. "I was kind of out of it last night. Tell me everything that happened." The sergeant urged. When Tully finished, Troy shook his head. "Moffitt said to wait an hour. They were in trouble before those charges went off Tully. If anything, the confusion may have helped them get to those Arabs Moffitt thought might help. We'll have to wait until tonight to go look for them."

"If they got caught, the krauts will be sure to be watching for us tonight."

Troy glanced up, his face troubled. "I'm not leaving them Tully."

"Good, because I was going to argue if you said that we were leaving without them." Tully declared.

"I'll pretend that I didn't hear that Private." Troy responded in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"So what are we going to do Sarge? Moffitt said that if they got away tonight they would meet us here. Considering that the Germans are going to be on high alert, that's a big if."

"I don't know yet, but we'll think of something. Maybe we could create a distraction so they can slip away." Troy shook his head and then reached for the jeep to catch his balance.

"Maybe you should drink some more water Sarge. And eat something too. And get some more rest….I can stand guard."

"You were on guard all night Tully; I slept all night, it's my turn." Troy argued.

"Three hours Sarge. Give me three hours and then I'll spell you. You need the rest more than I do."

The sergeant nodded, not arguing with Tully's logic. "Get some sleep Tully; maybe by the time you wake up we'll have a plan."

"Okay Sarge, but eat something and make sure you drink plenty of water."

"Yes mother." Troy responded.

Tully smiled, not the least bit offended. "Take care of yourself Sarge; you don't want me to turn into my mother." Leaving Troy with the warning, Tully headed for the jeep and his bedroll.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Interrogation Experiments**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 5

After leaving Troy and Tully, Moffitt made his way across the base to the supply building. During the nighttime hours there was no one on duty to hand out supplies. Slipping into the building was easy, but once inside he had to navigate the long corridors with caution. He assumed that there would be a guard on whichever room held the wounded prisoner but he found that there were several rooms with guards on duty. He was trying to determine which door to check first when a squad of soldiers entered the building and called to the sentry that he was watching.

Moffitt listened as they discussed the early morning departure of a convoy headed to another base. As they listed the contents of each truck and discussed the route it would take, Moffitt committed it all to memory. Moving on to the next guarded door as the talk turned more personal Moffitt found this one too making final arrangements to load a truck with the contents he guarded.

Turning the corner and rushing down a long hall, Moffitt found another guard standing in front of a room at the end of the corridor. This one was joking around with someone around the next corner. He leaned against the wall and laughed at something the other guard was saying. Listening closely, he heard them mention the prisoner. His eyes darkened with anger as they laughed about the bruises they had inflicted on the weakened soldier.

Satisfied that he had located his missing teammate, he waited for a chance to reach him. Shouting from outside sent him scurrying for an unlocked door. He heard shouts about a prisoner escaping and then the clatter of feet rushing past the door where he had taken refuge. When he heard the guards run past him to investigate the shouts he slipped out into the hall and ran for the room where he thought the blond was being held.

To his surprise, there was no lock on the door. He almost bypassed it as an unlikely place to hold a prisoner but the presence of the guard and the conversation he had overheard caused him to reconsider. Turning the knob and pushing the door inward, he slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

The room was dark but he heard a gasp as someone noticed his entrance. Rushing forward, he prepared to silence whoever it was if he tried to shout an alarm.

"Moffitt?" Hitchcock's voice was weak but he sounded alert and surprised.

"Hitch, can you walk?" Not bothering with greetings, he rushed to the bedside hoping to get out before the guard came back.

"I think so." Hitch whispered hesitantly. "I'm kind of weak but I'm willing to try." He added hopefully.

"The guard left but he'll be back soon. We have to leave now."

Hitch nodded and pushed himself up off of the bed. He swayed unsteadily and wobbled as he took a step toward Moffitt. There was a noise outside the door and Moffitt heard the guard return. Glancing over at Hitch through the gloom, he whispered an apology. "I'm sorry Hitch, it's too late. The guard is back and they'll be looking for me; they know Troy and Tully got away."

"I knew it!" Hitch whispered angrily.

Confused, Moffitt helped him sit back on the cot. "Knew what?"

"The Lieutenant said that Troy ran out on me. He said that Troy was only interested in saving himself."

"Keep your voice down." Moffitt warned as Hitch's voice rose in anger. "Hitch, Troy didn't run out on you. He sent me to get you because he was in no shape to do it himself. He wanted to come." The Brit whispered urgently.

"I know that Doc." Hitch whispered back, still angry. "I knew that the Lieutenant was lying to me the minute that he said that Troy ran out to save himself. He told me that Sarge died trying to escape without me. I knew Sarge was still alive."

"Let's hope that after this we can say the same. They'll get around to checking this room before long. We won't have much of a chance but it may be the only one we get." Looking around the dark room, Moffitt searched for a place to hide. "There is no chance they'll miss me when they check this room; there's not even a closet."

"Hide behind the bed Sarge." Hitch whispered urgently.

"Hitch, there's no room, besides they'll look under the bed." Moffitt argued.

"No Sarge. I was trying to think of a way to escape and I thought about hiding behind the bed. There's no heat in here so they gave me some extra blankets. I'll drape one of them off the back of the bed onto the floor. You slide the bed out a bit and crawl between the blanket and the wall. I'll use the other blankets to cover the gap between the bed and the wall at the top. If they look under the bed all they will see is the blanket falling off of the bed. It's dark in here; the lanterns will cast some shadows that will help cover the bulge."

Moffitt eyed the bed skeptically. More shouts in the hall made his mind up for him. Helping Hitch arrange the blanket off of the back of the bed, he pulled the cot out slightly from the wall. Crawling into the confined space, he tried to make himself as small as possible as Hitch arranged the blankets on top.

Hitch threw himself down onto the bed as the voices outside stopped in front of his door. The door burst open to reveal Lt. Krantz and four heavily armed guards. Hitch jumped as the men rushed into the room swinging their rifles around as they surveyed the small space,

"Are you alone Private?" The Lieutenant demanded of the prisoner.

"Yes." Hitch responded with a yawn.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I heard shouting in the hall. I was worried that the guards were mad about something and they might take it out on me."

The Lieutenant hesitated, noting the prisoner's tense body language. With a frown he noted the bruises on the prisoner's wrists. Turning toward the guard, he demanded answers to a series of questions. Satisfied with the answers, he took the lantern and made a quick search of the room, leaning down to look under the bed. The light cast dark shadows in the small space. Nodding to himself, he turned to order the guards from the room. "I will tell the guards not to bother you anymore tonight."

Hitch nodded hesitantly, "Thank you Lieutenant." He looked past the lieutenant to the guards in the hall. "What's going on anyhow? Everyone seems pretty excited."

"Nothing that concerns you Private. I'm sorry we disturbed you. I will visit you tomorrow and explain everything. Right now I have duties to perform that cannot wait."

"Until tomorrow Lieutenant." Hitch answered with a yawn.

The Lieutenant and the guards left, pulling the door closed behind them. Hitch could hear the guard assigned to his door pacing back and forth in the corridor.

"They're gone Sarge." Hitch whispered as he rolled off of the cot.

Moffitt pushed the frame away from the wall and got to his feet. Taking a seat next to Hitch on the cot, he whispered to keep the guard from hearing. "The guard at the door told the Lieutenant that he never left his post. They didn't look too hard because the door is the only way in."

"I guess we can be thankful for lying guards." The blond muttered bitterly.

"Hitch," Moffitt hesitated, not knowing how to word his question. "The guard said that he had paid you a visit tonight but he hadn't done any serious damage. What did he mean by that?"

Hitch dropped his head before answering. "At least once a day they come in and knock me around. I think that they are trying to intimidate me. Nothing serious or anything that won't heal, but they leave their mark. Then the Lieutenant comes in and yells at them and pretends to want to help me." Hitch laughed softly. "He says he wants to be my friend."

"And he told you that Troy was dead?"

Hitch nodded. "But I knew he was lying." Hitch shook his head in disgust. "I didn't know if he was telling the truth about you and Tully." At Moffitt's confused expression, Hitch explained. "He told me that a Stuka got both of you when it dropped a bomb on the jeep." Hitch smiled. "I admit, that was believable considering you didn't have any back-up out there." The blond shook his head again. "But when he told me that Troy was dead, I knew he was lying. He told me that Sarge was running away, leaving me here. Lt. Krantz told me that Sarge was only interested in saving himself and that he was my only true friend. Yeah right! I knew Sarge wouldn't have left me here to save himself."

"I made Troy leave without you. He wanted to come for you but I decided that he was in no shape to help you."

"But he knew that you would come for me Doc. It's not the same thing. If you hadn't been here, he would have come anyway."

Moffitt smiled, "I just wanted to make sure that you understood the difference."

"Yeah, I got it Sarge; I don't need any friends like Lt. Krantz."

"Well," Moffitt sighed, "I guess we will have to wait until morning to find our way out of here. That Lieutenant said he would be back in the morning and the light will be better then. I don't think we can count on the same trick working again."

"It's always dark in here Sarge, no windows." Hitch explained. "But I'd rather not be here in the morning if it's all the same to you."

"I heard talk of a convoy going out early tomorrow morning, maybe we can arrange to be on it. If we time it right so the guard isn't noticed until after the convoy leaves, we may have a chance. Get some rest Hitch; we have a few hours to wait."

Hitch started to settle in the cot when a series of explosions rocked the base. He turned fearful eyes toward Moffitt, "They found them!"

"No," Moffitt smiled, "those were just some surprises Tully left behind in case we needed a distraction."

"So you think that they made it out okay?"

"I'm sure they did Hitch. We haven't heard any shots, just the explosions."

"How are we going to get out of here Sarge? The only way out of this room is that door."

"Then I suppose we will have to use the door." The sergeant smiled. "Get some rest Hitch; I'll wake you when the time is right." Moffitt stood up to help Hitch stretch out on the cot, taking the time to check the bullet wound in his side. "This looks like it's healing well."

"Yeah," Hitch answered sleepily, "Lt. Krantz makes sure that the doctor checks it every day."

The private was soon asleep, leaving Moffitt to devise an escape plan.

Early the next morning Moffitt shook Hitchcock's arm gently. Hitch moaned and pulled his arm away sharply. He rolled away and pulled back until he realized that who was waking him. "Are you all right Hitch?" Moffitt asked, concerned at the reaction.

"Yeah fine," Hitch mumbled, "my arm is sore, that's all."

Reaching over, Moffitt shoved the sleeve up on Hitch's arm. He frowned as he realized the extent of the bruising. "I'm sorry Hitch, I didn't know. I'll be more careful from now on."

"That's okay Sarge, just get me out of here."

"I'm going to try," the Brit promised, "but I'm going to need your help."

"What do you need?" Hitch asked without hesitation.

"I'm going to hide behind the door. I need you to get the guard to come in. Keep his attention until I can take him out."

"What about the guard around the corner?"

"One guard at a time. I'll deal with the other one later. Do you think you can do it?"

"Sure, just tell me when."

"What about right now?" Moffitt took his place behind the door. "One more thing Hitch…," Moffitt fingered the gun in his hand, "is this guard one of the ones who gave you those bruises?"

The blond nodded silently.

Moffitt accepted the acknowledgement and lowered his rifle to the floor. Pulling his knife, he signaled Hitch to call the guard.

Hitch lowered himself onto the cot, preparing to call the guard. He began to moan loudly, pretending to be in intense pain.

Moffitt heard the guard's footsteps outside the door just before the knob began to turn. He flattened himself into the corner as the door swung inward. The guard stepped into the room, leering at the prisoner. Stepping forward, he grabbed his arm and twisted. Hitch cried out as his arm was twisted and the cry covered the sound of the guard's body hitting the floor. Moffitt released the German's face and pulled his knife free. With a quick swipe, he wiped the blade on the shirt of the dead guard.

Hitch reacted quickly, shoving his legs out to break the fall of the guard's rifle. Moffitt reached down and picked it up and handed it to the private. With a finger to his lips, he warned the private to remain silent. Ducking through the door, he surprised the sentry around the corner and dispatched him quietly. A few minutes later he reentered the room and helped Hitch to his feet.

"Let's go Hitch, the convoy will be leaving soon, and we don't want to miss our ride."

The blond nodded and leaned heavily on the sergeant's shoulder. Holding his wounded side, he used the wall for support while Moffitt hid the second guard in the small room. He tried to keep up as he followed the sergeant through the corridors. With a sigh of relief, they stepped through the door into the air outside. Moffitt took his arm and guided him to the line of trucks waiting to form the convoy.

While the Germans were busy loading the final trucks, they crept to the last truck in line. As they scrambled over the tailgate, Moffitt realized that they had chosen the truck carrying munitions. They wiggled between stacks of boxes marked 'grenades' and wedged themselves in the small space. They heard the driver talking as he climbed into the truck. The trucks roared to life and the convoy got underway.

Moffitt leaned against a box and sighed as they rolled out of the gate. Since they wouldn't be able to get out of the truck until it stopped, he decided to try to get some rest. He woke with an intense thirst as the sun heated the interior of the truck. He twisted to find Hitch still sleeping; his body slumped against another stack of boxes.

The trucks rolled to a stop over an hour later. Moffitt strained to hear what was happening, knowing that they were still within range of the base. Worried that the base might have radioed the convoy, he urged Hitch to leave the truck just in case it was searched. They took shelter in some rocks near the stalled trucks. Moffitt did catch a few snippets of conversation that seemed to suggest that a truck had broken down. A few minutes later they watched a mechanic start work on the engine of one of the lead trucks.

"Sarge, could we use one of those patrol cars to get away?"

"They'd run us down Hitch. There are too many other patrol cars for us to handle. We'll climb back into the truck when they look like they're getting ready to leave. Too bad the one carrying rations is near the front."

Hitch nodded but his attention was still focused on the patrol cars sitting to one side of the line of trucks.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Interrogation Experiments**

By:AliasCWN

Chapter 6

"Tully, time to get up."

Tully woke with a start, looking around for Moffitt and Hitch. He couldn't hide his disappointment when he didn't spot them. "Let me get a drink and I'll take over on watch."

"No." Troy surprised him by saying. "I just spotted a convoy headed this way."

"Did they spot us?" Tully asked as he jumped to his feet.

"No, but I spotted them. I want to hit that convoy Tully."

"Just us Sarge?"

"Just us Tully. Maybe we can pull some of the troops off of the base to chase us. That might give Moffitt and Hitch an easier time of it. Fewer guards might make it easier for them to slip away."

"All right Sarge," Tully agreed, "you're the boss." Without another word he pulled the netting off of the jeep and started packing it away.

Troy returned to the top of the wadi to keep an eye on the convoy's progress. There were two halftracks in the convoy, one leading and one bringing up the rear. He didn't want to tangle with either of them. He counted the patrol cars, trying to figure out a way to deal with them. With only one jeep, they wouldn't be able to use their usual methods.

"Tully." Troy called as he ran for the jeep. "I want to hit them from the top of the dune from near the rear. We'll sit on the high ground and take out as many of the trucks as we can. Before they get organized we'll run around and hit them from the front at their level. Then I want you to high tail it out of there. We'll outrun the pursuit if we can. All I really want is to get them to chase us. Destroying part of the convoy should get them mad enough to come after us."

Tully nodded. "Got you Sarge. Let's do this."

Troy took his place behind the 50. Tully settled behind the steering wheel. Troy lowered the barrel and Tully pulled the dust cover off of the 50.

Tully adjusted his goggles and tightened the strap on his steel helmet. Following Troy's directions, he angled toward the top of the wadi, ready to pull onto the crest at Troy's signal.

They waited in silence, listening to the sounds of the approaching convoy. As the trucks rumbled past, Troy tried to keep count of those that passed. When he thought that enough had gone through he nodded to Tully.

The jeep topped the hill without alerting the Germans. Troy's 50 announced their presence. He aimed for the crew of the last halftrack, killing the gun crew in the back. Then he methodically raked the trucks in line, back to front. The last truck, filled with ammunition, exploded as the heavy slugs tore through the cargo. Moving on to the next one, he watched as it too exploded, the fuel inside igniting as the barrels were penetrated. The third truck lurched to a stop as his bullets hit the engine, the cargo of rations absorbing the lead with little harm.

Bullets began peppering the sand around the jeep as Troy yelled to Tully to 'move'. Spinning the wheel, Tully took the jeep down the back side of the steep slope as two patrol cars tried to climb the front.

One of the German cars lost its traction and slid sideways into the one next to it. Both of them slid to the bottom of the slope and became mired in the loose sand. Sand flew in every direction as they tried to resume the attack.

The convoy, reacting to the attack, surged forward to get out of range of the 50. Tully drove around the dune and hit them from the front, catching the trucks directly behind the lead halftrack. As the gunners tried to spin around to face the new threat the jeep swerved around the dune and disappeared from sight. The halftrack tried to follow but the heavier vehicle was too slow to keep up with the more nimble jeep.

After the frontal attack, Tully took off across the desert, leaving the convoy in the dust. The patrol cars tried to go after them but they had to wait for the trucks to get out of their way on the narrow road. By the time they were clear of the convoy, the jeep was well in the lead. They chased it for a distance but eventually they lost sight of it.

Tully sat in the jeep as Troy watched the patrol cars turn back through his binoculars. The cars pulled to a stop and the three drivers held a short conference. With a shrug the lead driver turned his car around and, followed by the others, returned to the convoy.

Troy glanced down at Tully and smiled. Tully grinned when he saw the smile. They had done some damage and managed to escape undamaged themselves, things weren't looking too bad.

Troy waited until the patrol cars vanished into the distance. He watched the faint trail of dust they stirred up as they continued to put distance between them and their enemies. Once he was sure that they weren't trying to fake a retreat and return, he ran to rejoin Tully.

"Let's head back to the base. If Moffitt manages to find a way out maybe we can give him a hand if he's followed."

Tully nodded his head, chewing his matchstick into tiny pieces. They navigated the return trip carefully, fully aware that the Germans were now actively watching for them. They ducked several patrols as they neared the base.

Troy located a wadi where they could monitor the traffic from the base. Patrol cars came and went and a scout column passed by not long after they set up their observation post. Troy squinted as he peered through the binoculars. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned widely.

"Sarge."

Troy turned to find Tully holding a canteen toward him. Startled that he hadn't heard Tully approach, he shook his head to clear it. Taking the water, he flopped onto his back, letting his head rest in the sand. Nodding his thanks, he drank his fill.

"Why don't you get some rest Sarge? You went a long time with no sleep and you probably haven't caught up yet. I can keep an eye on the krauts." He reached for the binoculars that Troy held.

"I don't think they're coming." Troy admitted. "We may have to go back in and look for them." He sighed tiredly, the sleep deprivation still affecting him.

"Are you sure that they'll be there? They may decide to move them so we can't rescue them."

"No," Troy disagreed, "that Major won't let anybody else interrogate them. He wants all of the credit for killing us himself."

"What about the wadi near the Al Asad Oasis?"

"What about it?"

"Moffitt said that they would meet us there if they got clear." Tully explained the plan that Moffitt had put in place if they got separated. "We talked about it while you were there but you were kind of out of it at the time."

"All right Tully, we'll wait there. It's as good a place as any with the desert alive with search parties." Troy made a face as he thought about what they had done. "Now that I think about it, maybe hitting that convoy wasn't the wisest move."

Tully again palmed his compass and headed for the Al Asad Oasis. As Tully aimed for the wadi, Troy manned the 50 just in case they ran into any of the search parties looking for them. An hour later they cautiously approached the wadi, alert for any patrols lying in wait.

"Sarge." Tully whispered urgently. He pointed toward a set of tracks leading into the wadi. The breeze had already started to erase the twin set of lines made by what Tully judged to be a German patrol car.

Troy sent Tully around one way while he went in the other direction. Tully spotted the camouflaged vehicle hidden among the rocks on the outskirts of the wadi. Looking around, he spotted movement in the rocks above the hidden patrol car. He couldn't see the sentry on watch but he appeared to be alone. Looking for Troy, Tully located him near the rocks on the other side. As he watched, Troy crept up on the lone sentry.

Tully saw Troy lift his rifle as he covered the last few dozen yards. The hidden watcher seemed unaware of their presence. Troy continued forward, moving quietly, carefully placing his feet so he wouldn't dislodge any stones to alert his target.

Raising his rifle to cover the sergeant if it became necessary, he was startled when the watcher stepped out from behind the rocks.

"Moffitt!" Troy called in surprise.

Moffitt stepped into the open and faced Troy in the sunlight. "Are you all right Troy?"

"Me?" Troy laughed. "We've been worried about you."

Moffitt turned to follow Troy's gaze and found Tully watching him. "Hello Tully, I see you made it out all right. Your little surprise caused quite a stir on the base."

"Did it alert the guards to your presence?"

"No, they had already noticed that Troy was gone. What it did do was convince them that we had all gone and left the explosives behind. They checked Hitch's cell but it was only a cursory look and not a real search."

"You found Hitch?" Tully focused on the most important part of Moffitt's explanation.

"I found him." Moffitt nodded.

"Where is he?"

"He's in the patrol car. He needed rest and I wanted him where we could leave in a hurry if necessary."

Tully looked toward the patrol car, and at a nod from Troy, he headed straight for it.

"How did you get away?" Troy asked as he walked to the patrol car with Moffitt.

"They only had two guards to watch Hitch so getting out wasn't that difficult, but getting off of the base required a bit more ingenuity."

"So how did you do it?"

"They sent a convoy out this morning. We rode out in a truck full of ammunition and grenades." At the expression on Troy's face, Moffitt stopped walking. "What is it Troy?"

"When did you leave the convoy?"

"About two and a half hours ago." Moffitt responded. "They stopped to repair a truck and Hitch pulled a wire on one of the cars. When they couldn't get it started they abandoned it. Hitch reattached the wire after they left and we drove it here."

"Two and a half hours?"

"Yes, about, why?"

"Because we hit that convoy about two hours ago and that ammunition truck was one of the first casualties."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Troy repeated. "Oh." He looked toward the patrol car where Tully was pulling the netting aside. "How is Hitch?"

"Healing. That Lieutenant made sure that he received excellent medical care. The guards gave him some nasty bruises but nothing life threatening. He needs rest but he'll be fine…How are you doing?"

Troy thought about the question for a minute. "I need rest but I'll be fine." He finally answered. "They didn't let me sleep and they didn't give me much food or water, but I'm okay." He looked toward the patrol car again. "I need to see Hitch and see for myself that he's okay." Moffitt nodded his understanding. "Then I'm ready to go home and Moffitt,…thanks for coming for us."


End file.
